DP Ruto opposes revival of the Building Bridges Initiative Bill

Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed the continued push for constitutional changes as unnecessary.

The deputy president differed with President Uhuru Kenyatta who described the clamour for constitutional review through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as a deferred dream.

Ruto said the country was in dire need of economic transformation and not constitutional change.

“Wanasema wao wanataka wabadilishe katiba kwanza...waongeze mamlaka ya rais, waongeze vyeo ya viongozi, sijui Prime Minister…Mimi nimewaambia mambo ya mamlaka na vyeo na katiba ingoje, tubadilishe kwanza uchumi tupange ajira ya hawa vijana, na tupange biashara ya hawa kina mama,” he said during the second day of his Western Kenya tour.

The BBI had proposed creation of positions of Prime Minister, two deputies and official opposition leader.

The president described the changes to the Constitution as the remedy to political exclusion and the cure to the winner takes it all.

Dismissive of this talk, the DP projected his bottom-up economic model as the solution to fixing the country’s economy and youth unemployment that he described as a national crisis.

“Mambo ya uchumi Kenya imekuwa ikipangwa Nairobi na wale wanajulikana, inapangwa na kampuni kubwa kubwa…na inasemekana pengine siku moja itateremka iwafikie hapa chini,” he said.

“Mumengoje miaka hamsini, haijawafikia hapa chini. Nyinyi, mnataka tuendelee kungojea ile tumengojea miaka hamsini haijafika ama hii kitu tupindue?”

DP Ruto was in Mudavadi’s Vihiga County backyard with several stop overs at Emuhaya, Luanda, Vihiga and Hamisi constituencies.

The country’s second-in-command wooed the ANC party leader alongside his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula to back his 2022 State House bid.

“Omwami Musalia Mudavadi, kutoka hapa nyumbani mbali, mnataka yeye afanye kazi na bwana kitendawili ama hustler?” Posed Ruto.

The deputy president described next year’s contest as a battle between those who deliver on their promises against those offering lip service.

Ruto said kenyans will settle the score on who has the best track record to lead the nation.

A defiant Ruto was bullish about his anticipated performance in next year's election.

“Yule si alishindana na Moi, si alishindana na Kibaki, si alishindana na Uhuru? Nyinyi mkipima, anawezana kweli na hustler?” He posed.